Effect of Footwear On Rotational Torques in Country Swing Dance, The

The repetitive dancing movements of spinning, sliding, and landing generate cumulative loads to the lower extremity and lead to high injury rates. Rotational loads to the knee can strain the anterior cruciate ligament and the medical and lateral collateral ligaments. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different footwear on the peak rotational torque during a rotational movement in country swing dance. It was hypothesized that the leather bottom boots would result in the lowest peak rotational torque compared with the rubber bottom boots, barefoot, and running shoes. Eight female and six male country swing dancers (age: 20.6 ± 1.5 yrs; height: 1.72 ± 0.07 m; mass: 69.4 ± 8.7 kg; dance experience: 4.6 ± 4.4 yrs) participated in this study. It was found that rotational torque in country swing dancing is lowest when wearing leather bottom western style boots. Decreased rotational torques may be associated with decreased risk of injuries and improved performance. It is recommended that country swing dancers wear leather bottom boots instead of rubber bottom boots, running shoes, or being barefoot.